Friday, January 05, 2007

Why I really hate Splenda

Fatty, fatty two by four. Trying to shovel those blubbery legs into your freedom fabric stretchy pants? Perhaps it's the teal pair? Or maybe the mustard ones? You know the pants I'm talking about. You saw them advertised in the coupon section of your local newspaper. Or maybe in the back of Parade Magazine, shortly after you finished marvelling at the incredible genius of Marilyn Vos Savant. Two pairs for $19.87 plus shipping.

Should you buy them? With that elastic waistband, you'd be able to eat more tapioca pudding at the Sizzler Salad Bar than ever before. More Jelly Bellies and chocolate covered pretzels -- you find them on sale -- when passing by the gourmet section at your local TJ Maxx.

You wear your polyester stretchy pants nearly every day. You are thrilled with the fit and comfort. Maybe you look a bit dumpy, but who cares? When you're on the couch all day, watching the Tyra Banks Show interrupted only by ads for Eastwood Insurance and Western Career College, life is about being happy and comfortable.

And then one day, you decide to diet. Dieting is easy. Olesta-soaked Pringles may cause anal leakage, but you can continue to chomp on those perfectly formed crisps. Sugar free Jello and Crystal Light fill you up and provide perfect substitutes for fruit and fruit juice. Just a few cups of Splenda in Aunt Minnie's recipe for meringues, and you've got your favorite low-calorie treat.

Rashes. That's what Splenda gave me. On my arms and on my legs. On my back. On my tummy. Even on the palms of my hands. What the hell is in this concoction? Why aren't they required to put warning labels all over this horrible stuff?

Chlorine. According to the official Splenda website (http://www.splenda.com), this nasty stuff is made by replacing oxygen with chlorine atoms. Then it made sense. See, I've always sneezed a bit when I get into a swimming pool or hot tub. I've always assumed I'm sensitive to chlorine.

But who would have thought that Splenda was just tiny yellow packets of sweet chlorine? And that people would be gullible enough to ingest this stuff.

14 comments:

Anonymous
said...

I have bumps that occur every now and then. Two different doctors diagnosed it as folliculitis. But I am guessing it is a Splenda reaction. From what I read, Splenda and Equal are both poisons. Ideally, we should not be eating this stuff. Splenda does not completely pass through your body as the manufacturer's say - some is absorbed. What is absorbed is stored in your fat cells. So from what I read, I will have these outbreaks for a while until my body is completely clear of it (if it ever does clear it). One person had a stinging rash from what I read. It took him nine months for the pain to go away. Maybe nine months later, the problem will go away for me - I hope. I could be jumping to conclusions and accusing Splenda. But I never had this problem before and that is the only thing I can think is causing it. Plus, I stopped eating it and then came back. When I began eating it again, I had the worst outbreak on my neck. This was a region that was not previously affected. So for it to show up there is pretty suspect. I have since given up Splenda and Aspartame. You cannot trust the FDA, food manufacturers, or major supermarkets to look out for your own well being. You have to educate yourself on what is safe and what is not.

I like to say sucralose, not Splenda, because that is what Splenda is. And it is in a lot of stuff Sadly, the package doesn't have to say Splenda, or diet, to have sucralose in it. You have to read labels. So, you might still be using it and don't even know it!

A lot of people, including myself, have gotten/are getting sick from it.

Many people don't get any symptoms at all

Sucralose is poison. It ruined five years of my life. I had a laundry list of medical problems while taking it. I went to several doctors. I had a dozen different tests. I was told that I had a number of different problems. I was on different medication for many years.

The slogan, "Made from sugar..." is very misleading. Splenda might be made from sugar, but it is far from sugar. The resulting chemical is a class of chemicals called organochloride. Organochlorides are typically poisonous.

carbon monoxide - made from oxygen so its like a breath of fresh air.

My source is me. I have personally experienced the effects of sucralose and can report first hand of its dangers.

Check out what others are sayinghttp://www.foodanddiet.com/NewFiles/splenda-story-list.htmlhttp://www.belicove.com/archives/beliblog/000651.htmlhttp://splendasickness.blogspot.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtwUfbKiWmY&ref=mf

Check out organochlorideshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Organochlorideshttp://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Organochloride

Check out Duke University studyhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18800291

More interesting Linkshttp://www.thepeopleschemist.com/view_learning.php?learning_id=14http://jstevens.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/how-sucralose-aka-splenda-is-made-and-why-you-want-to-avoid-it/

Below is an excerpt from a letter I sent to Johnson & Johnson/Mcniel Nutritionals:

After I started consuming Splenda I started having minor, yet irritating pains in my wrists, elbows and arm muscles. The pain only increased with every day that passed. Shortly after the mysterious shooting pains started I had a rapid weight gain and my ankle and wrist joints started swelling and frequently my hands would swell to the point I could not make a fist or wear jewelry. And then, very quickly, it seems as my entire body was falling apart. I had extreme abdominal bloating, swelling and pain, frequent urinating, extreme muscle exhaustion, buzzing and vibrating throughout my body, my brain in a constant "fog" and moments of dementia. When I would bend over or sit up vertigo would send me spinning. The ringing in my ears became constant and maddening. The anxiety I was suffering was unbearable and I was physically and emotionally exhausted. Putting on my makeup and styling my hair became unbearable. The pain would shoot from my wrists to my elbows and then up through my shoulder, my muscles throbbing with pain. I could no longer handle the feelings of stress and confusion. I walked out on my job of 12 years. I felt as if I would be crippled in a matter of months. I feared for my myself and my children. Who would take care of me and them? I had visits to the family doctor, gynecologist and emergency room, a total of 10 visits in 7 months. My doctor performed many blood tests. This was the most terrifying time of my life.

My doctor tested me for Lupus, RA, hormone imbalance, and others. He called me at one point "a medical mystery". He could not pinpoint the cause of my illness nor could my gynecologist. I thought I was going insane. After a visit to a gynecologist for a "second opinion" he informed me that my symptoms were likely that of MS. I completely fell apart. I called my mother in complete distress and at that point started working on getting me moved out of my home that I own and have lived in for 7 years in fear that I would no longer be able to care for myself and family. I had to rip my son from his beloved school and lifelong friends. I was torn away from my daughter and emotionally crushed, mentally beat up, and heartbroken.

End of excerpt -

I have filed complaints with the FDA and FTC. Believe me, Johnson & Johnson/McNeil Nutritionals could care less about your suffering

I'm about to cut out Splenda b/c I think it might be the cause of my stomach troubles, so what I'm about to say is not a defense of Splenda per se, but I just had to chime in on some of the comments here along the lines of "contains chlorine, must be bad": chemistry doesn't work that way. At all.